Mailbox name plate support attachment



Oct. 28, 1952 H. G. BROWER MAILBOX NAME PLATE SUPPORT ATTACHMENT Filed Sept. 50, 1950 How/mo G. BRowEa ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 28, 1952 MAILBOX NAME PLATE SUPPORT ATTACHMENT Howard G. Brower, Nashville, Tenn.

Application September 30,1950, Serial No. 187,710

4 Claims.

My invention relates to a support for the name plates that are commonly supported directly over and parallel to the axis of rural-type mail boxes.

The rural type mail box is of standardized size and design and has 2. rolled flanged joint between the U-shaped metal plate forming the rear wall and the inverted-trough-shaped metal sheet forming the side and top walls of the box. The flange formed at and by this joint is utilized by my invention as the tongue of a tongueand-groove connecting means whereby my support may be simply, quickly and easily slid down over the rear end of a standard mail box and be firmly and securely held thereon, as will be made clear by the following specification, and by the attached drawings.

Objects of the invention It is an object of my invention to provide a name-plate-supporting attachment for a rural type mail box, which is easily, quickly, but rigidly attachable to a standard box.

It is a further object of my. invention to provide such a support and which is durable, esthetically pleasing, yet economical of construction.

Drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of my improved support shown assembled with a conventional box.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same from the rear of the box.

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional plan view taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a detailed partial elevational view of the joint of Fig. 3. a

Fig. 1 shows my device for supporting a mailbox name-plate I over a standard mail box 2 slid into assemblage with said box. The box 2, name plate I and attaching rings 3 are shown in phantom since they are not the essence of my invention.

My support comprises a U-shaped strap of iron or low-carbon steel snugly slidable down over the inverted trough which forms the side and top walls of standard mail boxes. Integrally fastened to the center of the bight portion of the U-shaped strap is the boom or support arm 5 which extends upwardly for a distance slightly greater than the width of the name plate to be used and then bends horizontally at 5a to overlie the crest of the mail box top. The base of the boom or arm (which is preferably square or non-circular in cross-section) is preferably set in a square or non-circular rod-shape-conforming hole in strap 4 and is welded or otherwise firmly fastened therein.

To strengthen the U-shaped strap, to prevent a forward and downward swinging of the arm and strap about the lower ends of the straps as a fulcrum, there is provided a reinforcing and slide-groove-forming cross strap 6 which is also made of strap iron. Both straps can be made of /8 thick iron /2 to inches wide, but the dimensions are not critical. Arm 5 may be formed of /5" square hot-rolled iron rod, or of other desired sizes and shapes.

Cross rod 6 is bent forwardly at its end 6a and is welded at (it or otherwise firmly fixed to the legs of the U-shaped strap. Between the rear edge of the U-shaped strap 4 and the front or box-contacting face of the strap 6 is a narrow channel or space of a Width to snugly receive the rolled flange la formed where the end wall of the box is bent over the outwardly flanged end of the side walls of the box (the conventional construction of such boxes). Cross rod 6 is optionally provided with a hole 601 to receive a screw 8 to hold the parts securely assembled against accidental upward displacement or prankish removal.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. For use with a standardized rural-type mail-box, or a like receptacle, having side walls and an end wall connected thereto by a flanged joint extending approximately in the plane of said end wall outwardly beyond said side walls, a name-plate-supporting attachment comprising: a pair of vertically extending relatively rigid members adapted to grip opposite side walls of said box, relatively rigid connecting means ex tending between and holding said members assembled in box-embracing relationship, said means having a relatively straight central portion for lying along an end wall of a standardized mail box and having bent-over end portions for attachment to the outer surfaces of said vertical members, said central portion being spaced slightly from said members and forming with said members grooves for snugly embracing said flange of said box, and an arm-member connected to said attachment for supporting a nameplate in desired juxtaposition to said box.

2. A name-plate-supporting attachment according to claim 1, and in which said means extending between said members additionally comprises a bight portion forming with said members a unitary U-shaped clamp of a size and shape to fit snugly over the rounded top and down the sides of said standardized mail-box.

3. A name-plate-supporting attachment ac-- 3 cording to claim 2, and in which said arm is fixedly attached centrally of said bight portion and extends upwardly therefrom, and then laterally to overlie the ridge formed by the top wall of said mail-box.

4. A name-plate-supporting attachment according to claim 3, and in whichsaid arm is formed of a non-circular rod attached to said bight portion by being received by an opening welded thereto.

HOWARD G. BROWER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,534,223 La Port Apr. 21, 1925 2,082,859 Walker June 8, 1937 

